MCAT 12-Week Schedule: Complete Coverage

Activity By Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12
Topic

Complete any
Take Science Take Full Take Full Take Full
Practice Tests remaining
Assessments Length 1 Length 2 Length 3
practice

Read “About
the MCAT” and
Practice Test “Using This
Review Full Review Full Review Full Final Review
Strategy + Book” in your
Length 1 Length 2 Length 3 of Practice
Review textbooks;
Review Science
Assessments

The The
Genetics and The Nervous The Endocrine The Digestive The Immune The Respiratory Embryogenesis
Biology The Cell Reproduction Cardiovascular Homeostasis Musculoskeleta
Evolution System System System System System and
System l System
Development

Nonenzymatic
Amino Acids, Carbohydrate Bioenergetics
DNA and RNA and the Carbohydrate Carbohydrate Lipid Structure Biological Lipid and Amino Protein Function
Biochemistry Peptides, and Enzymes Structure and and Regulation of
Biotechnology Genetic Code Metabolism I Metabolism II and Function Membranes Acid Metabolism and Protein
Proteins Function Metabolism
Analysis

Cognition, Motivation, Social Social Structure

Behavioral Biology and Sensation and Identity and Learning and Psychological Social
Consciousness, Emotion, and Processes, Social Interaction Social Thinking and
Sciences Behavior Perception Personality Memory Disorders Stratification
and Language Stress Attitudes, and Demographics
Behavior
Keywords; start Outlining the Practice your Practice your Practice your Practice your
Understanding
practicing Passage; start Dissecting Question Types CARS skill set CARS skill set CARS skill set CARS skill set
Analyzing outlining with Passages; Question Types
CARS About CARS identifying Arguments; III; Effective with at least one with at least one with at least one with at least one
Rhetoric everyday Question and I and II
keywords in every Formal Logic Review of CARS test like article/ test like article/ test like article/ test like article/
reading Answer Strategy
day reading day day day day
Reasoning
Mathematics;
About the Atomic and
Physics and Kinematics and Data Based and Electrostatics Review As
Work and Energy Fluids Design and Thermodynamics Light and Optics Circuits Waves and Sound Nuclear
Math Dynamics Statistical and Magnetism Needed
Execution of Phenomena
Reasoning Research

Bonding and Chemical Kinetics Oxidation-

General Compounds
Atomic Structure The Periodic Table Chemical Equilibrium Solutions Acids and Bases Thermochemistry The Gas Phase Reduction Electrochemistry
Chemistry and
Interactions Reactions
Stoichiometry

Nitrogen- and
Bonding;
Organic Aldehydes and Aldehydes and Carboxylic Acid Separations and Phosphorus- Review As
Nomenclature Isomers Analyzing Organic Alcohols Carboxylic Acids Spectroscopy
Chemistry Ketones I Ketones II Derivatives Purifications Containing Needed
reactions
Compounds
MCAT 4-Week Schedule: Focused Review
The average MCAT test takers spends over 300+ hours preparing for the MCAT. If that is completed in four
weeks, then that's over ten hours per day—everyday. Most students will require more than four weeks.

Take Full Length 1 to see where you stand. If you're still a long way from your target score, now is the time to
consider rescheduling your MCAT. You will be unable to reschedule within four weeks of your test. See the
AAMC’s MCAT Essentials for more information.

Even if you’re near your target score you’ll want to make the most of your remaining study time. Consider using
your Performance Summary (from Full Length 1) to isolate areas of opportunity. Start by breaking down your
performance by subject (book) and then by chapter. Make a list of the chapters from which you missed the most
questions. Sort the list from most missed to least missed and attack those chapters as outlined below.

 Read the “Concept Summary” at the end of the

chapter. How many do you understand every word of?

Most of them All of them Some/None of them

o Read troublesome topics o Read the chapter

Pay additional attention to the High-Yield subchapters

Need more review

Confident with material

o Seek additional content support

 Complete the “Discrete Practice

Questions" at the end of the chapter in
your Online Study Plan w/scratch board
to simulate Test Day

≥ 80% correct < 80% correct

 Read every word of the explanations

 Read every word of the explanations
 Review troublesome subchapters

 Complete the Concept Checks for troublesome

subchapters
 Review explanations

NEXT CHAPTER!!!
MCAT 24-Week Schedule: Pre-Preparing

Even if the MCAT is a distant target there are still steps you can take to make sure you set up for success.

➢ Learn about the MCAT. Start with the front matter of your Kaplan books, and then read the
AAMC’s M
​ CAT Essentials​ .

➢ If you are 6+ months away from Test Day, then it’s likely you have not completed all of the
prerequisite courses for the MCAT. Often that is used as a way to dismiss studying for the
MCAT, but you can do yourself a favor by studying for the MCAT as you complete your college
courses. In order to do this you’ll need to get first hand experience with the demands of the
test. A great way to get exposure is through one of Kaplan Free Practice Test events (look for
them at ​www.Kaptest.com/MCAT​).

➢ The MCAT requires a lot of reading. One of the best moves you can make is to read more.
That said, the MCAT requires a unique kind of reading. If you’re anxious to hit the books,
then the Critical Reading and Analysis​ book is a great one to start with (if available). You can
use the Kaplan strategies as you read academic articles, newspapers, and even novels!
Changing the way you read takes time, so start early!

➢ While your MCAT books won’t go into as much detail as your college textbooks (because the
MCAT doesn’t require it), you can still use your Kaplan books to prepare and review for your
college courses. Say for example you are struggling with organic chemistry. Give the Kaplan
book a try—they were written by some of the best ​teachers ​ in the world.

➢ Wean yourself off of your calculator. It may be necessary for your college coursework, but
pause before you plug and chug to make an estimation, and spend time understanding the
underlying relationships within equations. The MCAT requires you to know quite a few
formulas, but it focuses on relationships—and you won’t have a calculator on Test Day.

➢ Think like the test maker. As you’re studying, write MCAT questions (with wrong answers!).
It’s a great way to engage with the content (so it’ll improve your retention), but it’ll also prime
you for the types of wrong answers you’ll see on the MCAT.

➢ Keep the Kaplan MCAT Quicksheet (included in the box set) handy, and review it regularly.
You’d be surprised how much need-to-know content is packed in those pages.

As the target approaches and becomes clearer begin to think about a schedule. If you have a solid
foundation check out the 12-Week Schedule. If you think you'll need a little more time with the
material turn the 12-Week Schedule into a 24-Week Schedule by allotting twice as much time for each
assignment.